Automatic switch.



No. 647,885. Patented'Apr. 17, I900.

D. C. SMITH &. J. CHAPMAN. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WM WITNESSES: VENTORJ,

, Anew/Em rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IDON CARLOS SMITH AND JAYWEST CHAPMAN, OF COLUMBUS, OIIIO;

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,885, dated April 17, 1900.

Application filed December 28, 1899. Serial No. 741,834. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may SON/06770:

Be it known that we,DoN OARLos SMITH and JAYWEST CHAPMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

One object of this invention is to do away with spring-rails, stationary frogs, and guardrails, and therefore to obviate the dangers incident thereto.

Another object is to lighten the labor of the brakeman insetting switches and to save the loss of time involved in going back to close the switch after the train has passed into the siding.

A further object is to provide a solid and practically-uniform track along the main road and siding.

Heretofore in practice where spring-rails have not been employed a lap-rail to bridge the main rail was used. This has proved dangerous and expensive, and spring-rails, which are at present generally used, are quite dangerous and liable to derangement.

Our invention therefore consists of a frog, having rail sections or sides of the normal size and form of rail that is pivoted in the angle between the main rail and the siding, rail, with switching points or rails that are pivoted at the ends of stationary parts of the main and siding rails, combined with means for simultaneously operating said frog and switching-rails to form a practically-uniform track, whether it be into the siding or along the main road.

Our invention also includes improved means for holding the switching-rails and frog open until the cars have run off the same.

A further detail of our improvements consists in means for automatically releasing the switching-lever after it has been moved to and latched in the switch-setting position.

The invention also consists in other details, as pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line w an to illustrate the connection between the retainingbar and the switch actuating rock -'shaft. Fig. 3 is a detail plan View showing the detent for the weighted lever and means for tripping the same. Fig. iis a side elevation showing the apparatus referred to in Fig. 3.

In the several views, 1 designates the stationary rails of the main track. 2 designates the stationary rails of the siding. l and 2 designate the main and siding switching-rails, respectively, that are pivoted near the ends of the stubbed stationary parts of the main and siding rails. 3 designates a frog pivoted at 3, one side of which forms a part of the main track and the other side of which forms a part of an adjoining siding-rail. frog are joined and terminate in a stub-point that is swung to stand opposite the stub ends of the sections of the main and siding rails. 6 designates a rock-shaft journaled parallel to the main track. This shaft has fixed to it several downwardly-extending arms like that designated at 8 Fig. 2, and the two switching rails or tongues l and 2 are connected to be moved together by a rod 4:, attached to one of these arms 8, while the frog 3 is connected by a rod 5 with a similar arm. These parts are so formed and connected that the switch rail or tongue 1 and the main-rail side of the frog 3 may be drawn into line with the fixed rails of the main track to form a clear and unobstructed main road, and the said switchrail and frog are normally held in this position by a weighted arm 7 on the rock-shaft 6 but the switch-rail 2 and the siding edge of the frog 3 may be thrown into line with the fixed rails of the siding by lifting said weighted arm 7. This arm 7 is provided with a pin 7, that engages a notch 11* in a detent-lever 11, pivoted to a standard 11, adjacent the arm 7. The upper portion of this detent-lever 11 is held normally against the pin 7 by a bent crank-rod 12, the vertical end of which engages the lower arm of the lever and the horizontal end of which is fastened to a bar 14, extending to the siding-rail. On the end of this bar 14 near the track is a small block 15, adapted to be depressed by the wheels of the cars, and when so depressed the crank-rod 12 throws the lever 11 from the pin 7 and if said pin be in the notch 11 releases said pin, whereupon the lever falls or tends to fall.

The sides of the I We have" show'na spring-bark secured between the ties under the block toserveasj a brace for theblock; but this is not necessary if the arm 14 be sufficiently strong and thereto is placed what we call the retaini-n gbar 8. This barjis secured to the rail, so as to be capable of vertical movement with re- 1o spect thereto, and in'the normal position of this bar its upper edge lies slightly above the top of the rail, so that if a car passes over the rail it will depress the bar.

lel to this bar 8 is a rock-shat t 9, having arms 15 9*, that engage the bar, so that if the bar be depressed the shaft will be. partially rotated in its bearings. The rock-shaft 9 also has fi'zied'to it an arm 10, and a link 1O connects the end of this arm 10 with one of the arms 8; From this connection of the bars with the shaft 6 it will be observed that if the bar 8 be depressed the shaft rotates in a direction to lift the weight, and therefore to move the latches the lever in its raised position. As

soon as the train runs onto the retaining-bar the switch is held'open until allthe'cars-have' passed the point of the frog 3. When the wheels strike the bloek15'and depress it, the

dete'nt-lever 11 is thrown and disengaged 5 from the pin .7; but the weight cannot drop its full drop and restore the rails to their nor- .malposition until all the cars have runoflf the retaining-bar 8. In coming out-of the siding the-flangesof the car-wheels first spread 40 the frog :3, and when the wheels runonto the "bar 8 the'switch-point, as well as the frog 3, will 'be throwninto the open position.

- To prevent the frog and switch-rails from being jolted out of place when the maintrack Arranged paraltent.

the precise form of'the parts shown, as they may be modified to some extent without departing from the scope of ourimprovements.

What we'olaim, and desir'elto secure by Letters Patent, 'is- I 1. In a railroad, the combination of the movable switch-rails, the movable frog,means whereby thesame may be moved simultaneously to open the siding or ope'nthe main track, means for holding them normally in theopen main-trackposition, and the retaining-bar 8, connected-with the means 'foroperatingthe switch-rails and frog adapted to be depressed bythe cars to holdsaid frog and switch-rails in theposition of open siding, substantially as described.- I

2. In a railroad, the combination of mov able switch-rails, a movable frog, means for yieldingly holding them ina normaljposition, a 'detent for latching them when moved out of this normal position.

3. In a railroad, thecombinati'on'o'f amovable switch-rail, a movable frog, means for yieldingly holding them in normal position, a detent for latching them when moved out of this position, and means to be operated by the train for automatically releasing'said do .In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures in presence of two witnesses. I

- DON CARLOS SMITH.

I J AYWEST CHAPMAN. Witnesses:

GEORGE 'M. 'FINCKEL, GEoRGnW. ALFRED. 

